The First Equals
by Ticken134
Summary: The Military were not the only group to attack Kamikura Island, Aogiri Tree wanted a piece of it as well. The One-Eyed Owl and a few of her strongest subordinates stage an attack on the Island to steal whatever revolutionary technology remained, and to kidnap Minaka Hiroto. But the technology they find is not what they expected, and the technology did not expect them either.
1. Chapter 1: Preparation

Chapter 1: Preparation

I own neither Tokyo Ghoul or Sekirei

It was a dark night. The rain fell in sheets over the empty streets, creating a soft pitter-patter sound against the paved ground. Glaring eerily out over the roads and sidewalks, the street lights cast elongated shadows across to the opposite side. The lamps were the only source of light in the entire area. Normally the moon would be shining down on the city, but the moon had been swallowed up by the black clouds which gathered overhead. While the city was shrouded in darkness , there was no lack of sound. A discordant harmony of screams, explosions, and the tearing of flesh echoed throughout the no-longer-sleeping city.

The sounds came from a large building on the outskirts of the ward. The large four story monument looked out of place in the tenth ward, as the area was primarily residential with few big buildings. It was designed to be a representation of the CCG's power in the ward, but the fact that it stood out like a sore thumb was a weakness waiting to be exploited. The Commission of Counter Ghoul, or CCG for short, was Tokyo's only defense against the Ghoul epidemic. The CCG employed and trained Ghoul Investigators: Professionals who were entrusted with the investigation, pacification, and extermination of Ghouls.

The Investigators were split into two separate groups: Junior and Senior Investigators. Within those two groups there are three subsections for each. For the Junior section, in rising order of strength and influence, there are Rank 3 Investigators, Rank 2 Investigators, and Rank 1 Investigators. Then within the Senior Section, once again in rising order of strength and influence, there are First Class Investigators, Associate Special Class Investigators, and Special Class Investigators. Most Investigators retire from duty at the First Class ranking,with only the strongest or most committed moving past it. And only the truly elite climbed the ranks fervently enough to gain the privileged rank of Special Class. Unfortunately for the residents for the CCG's headquarters in the tenth ward, there were no Special Class investigators present. In if there had been, it might not have even made a difference.

The massive windows that had looked out over the ward, once giving the ghoul investigators a wide view of the large open spaces, had suddenly became a liability. Where the windows once were, there were large holes in the side of the tower, ringed with jagged pieces of broken glass. The doorway into the reception was torn off its hinges and laying on top the corpses of numerous investigators. The path inside was littered with bodies, both ghoul and human. The humans were all clad in investigator uniform, their gray trench coats covered in blood and lack of body armor, indicating a lack of preparation for a ghoul assault. The ghouls wore red cloaks and white masks, revealing them to be from the ghoul terrorist organization, "Aogiri Tree."

Slowly but surely, the cries of pain and crashing of kagune against quinque came to a close and an uncanny silence draped itself over the tower. As the fight stopped, Aogiri Tree could finally get what they came for.

* * *

In the largest office of the building, two ghouls riffled through the many folders of files that the CCG possessed. One of the ghouls was white haired and wore a black mask with a zipper. The zipper ran horizontally through the middle of two sets of painted teeth on the mask, to prevent the ghoul from feeding. The mouth-guard was open, revealing red-stained teeth where small rivulets of blood ran down the sides of his mouth before dripping onto the bloodied red sleeve in his lap. The second ghoul was black-haired and wore a black metallic mask that wrapped around his lower jaw and extended up to cover his mouth and nose.

The ghoul with white hair almost meticulously peered into each folder on his left before setting it down gently on his right. The methodical method seemed out of place, when compared to the chaotic frenzy of his partner. The black-haired ghoul snatched at random folders before inspecting them momentarily and flinging them behind him. Behind him a massive pile of paper was steadily growing with each tossed folder.

"Found anything yet?" asked the black-haired ghoul, as he looked up over the pile of folders in front of him.

"Nothing yet," replied the other lightly, not even bothering to glance up from his current folder before setting down and picking up another.

The black-haired ghouls eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes bored into the top of his companion's head. He seemed to be considering something, rolling an idea around in his brain before deciding if it was worth speaking or not.

"Eyepatch."

"Yes?" replied the now dubbed "Eyepatch" questioningly.

"Do you have any idea what this is all about?" asked the other ghoul gruffly, but with an air of curiosity. Eyepatch hesitated for a moment, pausing in his reading before responding.

"Only a little bit."

"Mind sharing it?"

There was another pause: it was longer than the previous one. Eyepatch placed three more folders to his right before responding.

"I don't know a lot, but I do know that this mission was ordered by Tatara and that Eto has no idea of its existence." He paused again, as though he had suddenly realized something important.

"Or at least she didn't know before we left on this mission. Whether or not she has knowledge of it now is impossible to figure out. She has a knack for ferreting out secrets," he added to his previous statement.

The black-haired ghoul's eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent.

"Tatara also mentioned that this mission is by far the most important one that Aogiri Tree has undertaken up until this point. He would have told you the same if you had been present when he gave the orders, Black Rabbit," Eyepatch continued.

"Probably" replied "Black Rabbit", resuming his chaotic searching and then responding with his eyes focused on the folder before him.

"I was asking more about the reason behind the mission, it doesn't make any sense," said Black Rabbit curiously, "What the hell does this Minaka Hiroto have to do with ghouls or the CCG."

"Unfortunately, I was not informed about any of that," returned Eyepatch tonelessly, flipping through yet another folder. "We just have to find this file on him and let Tatara explain it when we get back."

"Somehow I doubt that he will be explaining it to us," replied the other ghoul dryly.

"True," Eyepatch conceded the point.

"Besides that's even if we can find the folder in this mess," grumbled Black Rabbit, gesturing around him to the enormous stacks of paper. "Hell, if we can find this file before their reinforcements get here I'll eat my-"

"Found it"

There was a pause, and Black Rabbit's mouth shut with an audible popping sound.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yes," responded the other ghoul, motioning towards the name present on the first paper in the folder. The name 'Minaka Hiroto' was printed in blocky black letters across the top of the page. Black Rabbit grunted affirmatively and tossed the papers in his lap off to the side.

"Get your ass in gear then, let's move."

Black Rabbit stood up, and strode out of the smashed doorway stepping over the numerous corpses in his path. Eyepatch stared after him unblinkingly before standing up himself and walking out the door holding the folder. He turned to the waiting Aogiri ghouls who stood guarding the door and jerked his head towards the office.

"Burn it all."

* * *

"Eto."

The sound of her name behind her broke the young leader of Aogiri Tree out of her reverie. Without turning her chair away from the large window, she answered.

"Yes, Tatara?"

"I have some information that you might find useful."

Eto hummed softly to herself before responding to him, "Is this about that mission that you sent Kaneki and Ayato on?"

"Yes," Tatara's reply was bland, lacking any sort of surprise at being found out. The reason was probably that he simply expected it.

"Evidently you were aware that hiding it from me was impossible, and you even planned on giving me the information anyway. So tell me Tatara..." Eto spun her chair around and stared him in the face. "Why the hell have nearly one fifth of our standing forces are lying dead on the CCG's doorstep?"

With her kakugen activated and her glaring eyes piercing his own pupils, she was a terrifying sight. A squealing sound emanated from the arms of her office chair as her fingers clenched and dug deep grooves into them. Tatara however did not flinch, he simply held out the file. Eto raised an eyebrow, snatched the file away and began to flip through it.

"This is the file of a human by the name of Minaka Hiroto: he is the founder of recently created 'Mid Bio Informatics' or MBI for short. Although this company was only created recently, its technology is beyond anything anyone has ever seen before. Despite officially being a pharmaceutical company its influence over nearly all fields is rapidly increasing."

Eto looked up sharply from the file, her gaze hard.

"And you believe that this MBI is going to spread its technology into the weapons market, giving the CCG a new advantage, and one that we not be able to counter."

"That's only part of it, the other reason is that there is evidence in that file that Mr. Hiroto has been involved in human experimentation." Eto blinked twice, before the importance behind that statement dawned on her.

"You believe he could be another Kanou?"

"Not just another Kanou, a better Kanou. Perhaps a Kanou who is not a constant security risk."

"Kanou's loyalties have always been in question."

"I have reason to believe he may be in contact with 'V'"

"... I understand, however to use a full fifth of our standing forces... you must have something better than a new doctor."

Tatara walked over to her, reached inside the folder and pulled out a map. Grabbing two corners he spread it out, and laid it out on a nearby table. Then he reached inside his own coat, pulling out another map, and placed it on the table in an identical fashion. He pointed to the same place on both maps, and glanced at Eto.

"...Tatara, why does one map have an island, while the other doesn't?" questioned Eto, placing the folder on the table as well. She was beginning to get excited, she could sense something big was coming; something big, something bloody, something violent.

"He removed it," replied Tatara tonelessly. "Somehow Minaka Hiroto discovered an island, named it, and then removed it from all electronic maps. Fortunately, some cartographer made a paper copy. The paper copy was then duplicated in turn, and now we have the location of this island that does not exist."

"So the question is..."

"What did Minaka Hiroto find on that island that gave him unrivaled technological power; the ability to create new cures for diseases, the capability to erase the island's existence from all forms of technology, and finally be able to repel an attack from a country as strong as Russia?"

"He repelled an attack from Russia?" choked out Eto, her mind began to race frantically. ' _How in the hell could one man find enough technology on that island to repel a country as strong as Russia?'_

"I reacted much the same way when I heard the rumours," replied Tatara. "Of course it was not all their power, that would have been far risky for them. However it was still a formidable force."

"That makes more sense, but even so that is incredibly impressive," mused Eto steepling her fingers and peering at the two maps. "How do you suggest Aogiri Tree proceeds?"

Tatara smiled, the fact that she had referred to Aogiri Tree meant that she has not only approved of his attack on the 10th ward's headquarters, but that she also deemed it worthy of future action. All in all, everything was working out perfectly.

"If you look in the file again, you will find a military letter. The letter reveals the plans for China and Japan to jointly attack this "Kamikura Island" and seize its contents. The spoils would be split equally between the two countries, however I worry that Japan would choose weaponry almost exclusively, if only to combat our kind. I propose that we take an elite team of ghouls, stow away on one of the warships, steal what knowledge we can, burn what we cannot, kidnap Hiroto, and hijack the fastest warship we can in order to return here."

Eto closed her eyes in contemplation, deeply considering their options.

"It's a good plan, it doesn't get us involved in the fighting directly due to the large forces of the two countries, however it does carry a massive amount of risk. The changes of getting caught would be too high with a large group, and a smaller group would be too easily defeated. In other words, we would need to commit a small number of our most powerful members to complete this mission." Eto stopped to make her sure her point had gotten across, "Should the operation fail, we would be at an incredible disadvantage to the CCG."

"Unfortunately, we would be at such a disadvantage anyway should Japan succeed in retrieving new weaponry."

"Damn." Eto leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. She rubbed her eyes with her open palms a couple of times before sitting up and staring Tatara directly in his eyes.

"Tatara, I need you to assemble the team we are taking to Kamikura Island."

"What? You and I will be going?" Tatara exclaimed. Eto cocked her head to the side, as a smile grew on her face.

"Of course. We might as well put all our cards on the table. We should take our five strongest; assemble Noro, Kaneki, and Ayato."

"Of course, Eto." Tatara inclined his head towards her, and then moved off to retrieve the members of this newly formed squad. Eto stared after him, watching him until he turned out of the doorway. She reached forward and picked the folder off the table. She opened it again and she could feel her smile becoming larger, darker; the smile that struck fear into her underlings and the CCG alike. Staring at Minaka Hiroto's face, she giggled lightly. A laugh that promised pain and suffering escaped her lips.

"Oh Minaka, we are going to have so much fun together."

* * *

 **AN: Why hello there, Ticken here and I just wanted to say a few things at the end of the very first fanfic chapter I've ever uploaded. The main reason that I wrote this was that I couldn't find any TG/Sekirei crossovers and I found that pretty sad. So I decided to try one myself. This is my first fic as I said above so I am open to criticism, although I prefer it if you gave me ideas of how to improve rather than mindlessly bashing my writing. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed enough to wait for my next chapter, which should be out fairly soon. Cya**


	2. Chapter 2: Invasion, Part 1

Chapter 2: Invasion

I own neither Tokyo Ghoul or Sekirei

* * *

"Let's move out men." These words marked the prelude to one of the most terrible encounters in human history. With heavy steps, the soldiers of China and Japan stepped off their massive battleships to make their way to the beach of Kamikura Island. Dozens of transports, packed with hundreds if not thousands of troops, hauled their living cargo towards the island.

The island was barren. There were no plants or animals to be seen, just an endless expanse of rocks and dust. Massive walls of shale rose up out of the ground, then fading into deep valleys where the bottom was hidden in darkness. Even the seemingly smooth parts of the island would sudden dip and twist, leading into craggy and rugged caverns. Yet despite its uneven surface, the altitude slowly increased in the middle of the island, almost as though it was a massive mountain. It was entirely devoid of anything that would indicate life or any kind of outside interference. All in all, the silence of the island was pervasive. It seeped into the hearts and bones of the advancing soldiers, filling them up with trepidation.

The troops stood tall, staring out at the land with their weapons at the ready, waiting for the battle to begin. The waves crashed up along the shore, splashing large gouts of water over the dry rock. When the transports finally reached the coast, the soldiers leaped off the transports and all landed in the shallow water. They cautiously made their way to the shoreline and stepped onto dry land. The silence remained constant; there was no attack, no gunfire, nothing to indicate that the island was inhabited. It was far too quiet, especially considering that the entire force was being watched.

* * *

"Miya, they've landed," the words were spoken by one of seven individuals who were standing at the top of the mountain. Five of them were wearing long grey cloaks with an intricate emblem in the form of a wagtail, four of these cloak-wearers were women while the fifth was male. The other two individuals were male and wore white lab coats. While both males had white hair and were scientists, the resemblance stopped there.

One of the males wore glasses and acted in an eccentric, almost insane manner. He seemed to be in a constant state of both caffeination and excitement, which together served to explain his mannerisms. The other scientist did not wear glasses and was far more reserved. His eyes were a light gray and had a strange quality to them. It almost seemed that when he looked at someone he stared deep into their soul and was saddened by what he found there.

"I understand Matsu, how many of them are there?" asked the grey-cloak identified as Miya. As with all the grey-cloaks, she had an unearthly beauty to her, something that could not be found in humanity. Her purple hair billowed out behind her as the wind rushed past. In her right hand, she held a katana in a black scabbard, the legendary Totsuga no Tsurugi, while her left held her own chin in a thoughtful manner as she gazed out over the island.

"According to the satellites, there are approximately two thousand infantry, fifty tanks, as well as the three battleships being used to move the soldiers and weaponry." Matsu was the only glasses-wearer out of the grey-cloaks; her red hair was tucked into a neat braid and fell over her left shoulder. "Unfortunately, I can't see any specifics through the satellite I'm currently analyzing. I may need to transfer to a newer one, this one is a bit too old."

"That's fine, we won't need specifics to deal with them. They will have to spread out in order to find us before we would 'escape', then we will strike."

"Waiting for them to spread out is so boring. Let's just all charge them now … it'll be more fun that way," spoke another grey-cloak spoke with a sadistic grin on her face. With her grey ponytail lashing around in the wind like a whip, as well as her grey eyes sparkling with repressed violence, she was a truly frightening figure.

"If you cannot figure out my reasoning by now, then that would be very disappointing Karasuba," Miya drew out the name as she turned to stare at the grey haired sadist with hard eyes. A blanket of power draped itself over all seven figures as the two women stared into each other's eyes. The tension between them was palpable, almost physical in its magnitude. Thankfully for the other five individuals, a voice broke them out of their argument.

"Miya, they're on the move. They appear to have split into equal groups and are all moving to different ends of the island. Four groups of approximately five hundred, each with either twelve or thirteen tanks. What are your orders?" Matsu's report instantly shattered the tension, and all the grey-cloaks prepared themselves for Miya's orders. Even Karasuba's grin faded away into a visage of grim expectancy.

"Each of you will take one of the groups, use hit and run tactics coupled with dropping boulders on them. I will remove the battleships from the equation." Miya was all business now, the very image of a general as she gave her orders.

"Hell yeah! Let's show these pitiful humans the power of a Sekirei." Karasuba's sadistic grin had returned in full force. "Let's get bloody," she said as her hand clenched over the hilt of her katana. Unfortunately for her, she had no idea that the blood of humans would not be the only blood that stained the ground that day.

* * *

Sojiro Ishiki had been a member of the Japanese military for over a decade. He fought in numerous battles and was regarded by many of his colleagues as a veteran of war. His worn combat boots had seen the bloody and muddied ground of victory as well as that of defeat. After many long years in service, he had risen the ranks and was at least promoted to Colonel. There was no question that he deserved it. He had roamed the world; fighting on so many battlefields, that he couldn't even keep track. But as he stared out over the horror that confronted him he realized something. Out of all the atrocities he had seen, this one counted as one of the worst.

When he was assigned to be the leader of the guard squad for one of the battleships, he had been almost relieved. Given the fact that almost nobody had any information on the mission, coupled with the fact that this island didn't exist on any electronic map had sent chills down the Colonel's spine. The instinct that had guided him through fight after fight was screaming at him. It screamed 'Danger!'. And as usual, it was right.

It happened only minutes after the main force had left the ship and reached the shore. Only a couple dozen men remained, and then came the reports.

"We are all good in corridor one, sir."

"Same here in the third." More words of affirmation drifted through the Colonel's receiver. He frowned; his instincts were rarely wrong, and this seemed too good to be true. Something was off here, and he didn't know what it wa- wait, the team checking the storage area hadn't reported yet!

"Storage team. What is your status?" inquired Ishiki. Silence was the only response. 'Well, shit,' he growled internally. "Storage team. I repeat, what is your status." Static buzzed in his ears: this was not good. With his right hand, he reached down and pulled out his pistol, laying it down on the table. From there he could grab, aim, and shoot in just under a second, even when sitting down. Any hostiles trying to get to him would be met with a bullet between the eyes… it never hurt to be prepared.

"Team 7, check on the storage team. They are not responding to any comms. Be cautious, it could just be an equipment malfunction, but we have most likely been boarded. Your primary objective is to identify the target or targets. Do not engage on a whim, but give them hell if they attack you." His rather long-winded order was being followed before he was halfway done. It was a bad habit of his; he tended to give almost excessive amounts of information which often increased the time it took to achieve them, and in a pitched battle, every second counts.

"Yes, sir. We are on our way." The reply came swiftly and confidently. Good. It hopefully meant that they were hardened, and knew what they were doing … Hopefully.

"Team 8, be prepared to follow Team 7 should it become necessary." More orders crackled through earpieces, and the soldiers moved to respond. Then came the silence, and so Sojiro Ishiki sat and waited. He did not have to wait long.

"Sir, we have arrived at the storage area and there is no sign of the team. Besides that, everything appears to be in or- HOLY SHIT!" The calm delivery, along with the Colonel's hopes of an equipment malfunction, suddenly ended. Sounds of gunfire exploded out of his earpiece, accompanied by gruesome tearing noises and the terrified screams of his soldiers. "HELP!" The section leader was in hysterics; screaming and shouting out for aid. "WE'RE GETTING SLAUGHTERED! WE NEED HEL-" His frantic cries were cut off, and a choked gurgle bubbled through the comms. Then the signal disappeared and silence enveloped the ship. It was short-lived.

"ALERT! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK. I REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" Colonel Ishiki's booming voice roared through the loudspeakers as sirens whined and the halls were covered with a haze of red light. "All teams be on alert! Teams 3 through 12 get to the storage area, NOW! Set up a perimeter and let nothing through, I am on my way to join you." He tore off his headset, throwing it roughly on the table, before jamming a portable earpiece in his ear and snatching up his automatic. Then, leaping out of his chair, he threw open the door and bolted down the hallway.

The door to the storage room swung on its hinges and its squeaking echoed throughout the halls accompanied by the sounds of dropping liquid. These were the only sounds that remained.

Drip. Drip. Drip

And then came the stomping of feet and the speaking of voices. But, soon even those would stop. As they grew louder, more sounds accompanied them. The sickening sound of tentacles erupting from flesh.

The speaking became screaming, the stomping became pounding, the squeaking became slamming, and the dripping became gushing.

Then they stopped.

The door to the storage room swung on its hinges and its squeaking echoed throughout the halls accompanied by the sounds of dropping liquid. These were the only sounds that remained.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It was the worst bloodbath he had ever seen. Whatever he had expected to see when he rounded the corner was not this. With horrified eyes, he stared out at the scene in front of him.

The ground was littered with corpses and limbs. His men's lifeblood was drenching the floor like a crimson lake; drowning them in it. Heads and arms and legs and organs were scattered everywhere; not piled, not stacked, just sprawling bodies twisted in impossible positions with gaping chasms where there should have been skin and muscle. And all with glassy, staring, accusing eyes.

Even the walls were covered in human remains. They were smeared red with the occasional intestine or splash of cranial fluid. Combined with hundreds of bullet holes it was a macabre painting if he had ever seen one.

The Colonel gritted his teeth and moved slowly through the remains of his fellow men.

"What the hell happened here? They were supposed to set up a perimeter damn it! Not rush into a fight not even knowing what they were fighting!"

His boot came down with a loud cracking sound that reverberated around the corridor as though it was a giant drum. He winced and glanced down at the ground. His foot was in the center of two pieces of a broken, red-stained rib.

He took in a deep shuddering breath and continued wading through the dozens of carcasses. So many of his former men… his responsibility all dead, but what killed them? Ishiki shuddered as he passed by yet another man. This one has his jaw hanging from a few slivers of flesh and muscle on his right, while on his left all support had been torn apart.

Suddenly a thought came to him.

"Wait, where are the enemy?"

All of Ishiki's movements came to a sudden halt. All those bodies … they were all his men! There were no enemy corpses of any kind, no casualties, no sign of even the most remote victory on their part.

This was … this was wrong! These men were not just untrained savages, they were soldiers! To be cut down like these without so much as a body to show for it …

A soft giggle brought him out of his musings and somehow, it felt menacing. In a quick, practiced movement, he twisted on his heel, lowered himself in a crouch, brought up his automatic, and unleashed a veritable storm of bullets at the figure who was standing behind him.

Nothing happened. The bullets impacted the cloaked figure that stood a couple meters in front of him, and yet they just bounced off. Once the empty clicking sound came instead of a bullet, the Colonel could finally get a better look at his opponent.

The cloak that it wore covered its entire body, all the way from its head to its feet, and was complete with a cowl that hid its face from view. Ordinarily, the cloak would have been black yet the blood covering it hid all but the smallest patches of black from view.

The figure was absolutely drenched in crimson. It flowed down the cloak like a crashing waterfall; adding to the blood covered ground. Their hands hung at their sides, unmoving but nonetheless terrifying as red drops fell from their fingertips.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Another giggle broke the monotone dripping before the figure took a single step forward, their hood sliding back slightly revealing one red kakugan.

Ishiki took a single step backward in horror before reaching into his belt and yanking out a grenade.

"Burn in hell, monster," Ishiki roared, pulling the pin and heaving it at the impassive figure who had just taken their second step. He then hurled himself backwards onto the corridor floor, drenching himself in blood as he waited for the grenade to detonate.

The grenade flew through the air and slammed into the figure's face, before exploding with a loud bang, releasing shrapnel that seemed to radiate outwards in a circular arc.

The wave passed over Ishiki has he lay on the floor and slammed into the walls. The pieces of metal ricocheted off the walls and shot off in random directions with some heading for Ishiki.

He took two to his right leg and one to his left hand as it covered his head. The rest buried themselves in the corpses that surrounded him with wet thunks. Once he was sure that the shrapnel had stopped bouncing, he immediately looked for his opponent.

Nothing. It had done nothing but tear the cloak that the figure wore. The hood was in tatters from where the grenade had exploded revealing the women's face for him to see.

She looked like a dream turned nightmare; her green-gray hair fell down the sides of her head to frame her grinning face. The smile could have seemed genuine and happy, save for the rivulets of blood that dribbled down the sides of her mouth and fell from her chin and the red kakugan blazing in her right eye socket.

Her smile shifted as her attention refocused on Ishiki. Now there was an air of expectation that came with the crinkles around her eyes. Her lips moved, forming words that he could not hear. His ears were ringing and his eyesight was getting blurry. Grimacing, he tried to stand before his injured leg collapsed under him. He cried out in pain, but he couldn't hear himself.

Blood was running down his cheeks, presumably coming from his ears.

'Shit,' thought Ishiki, 'I've gone deaf. I can't hear anything.' With his ears leaking crimson, he never heard the sudden movement from the girl before he flew into the metal wall with a sickening crunch.

He attempted to scream but failed as blood bubbled up in his throat. It spilled over his lips and added to the pool around him. Shattered bone protruded from his midsection; a stark white contrast to the overwhelming amount of red.

The pain was too much. It was everywhere; from the tips of his toes to the top of his skull, it consumed him. His eyes shut as his hands scrabbled across the ground in a final effort to keep himself alive; his fingers desperately reaching for anything to save him.

He was already dead, and he was realizing it now. Slowly, but surely, his weak struggles and spasms stopped before he lay quietly against the wall and his soft breaths were silent in his ears. Yet, somehow one sound fought its way into his mind.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Ishiki's eyelids fluttered open again and found the face of his killer opposite his own, with only a few inches separating them. A small smile was painted on her face and she cupped his chin in her hand. His racing heart continued to pump out life onto the ground as her digits danced along his skin. He twitched in a vain attempt to escape her fingers, but they tightened and pulled upwards making their eyes meet.

Her eyes seemed to be searching for something in his own, as to what he had no idea. Her lips moved, but he couldn't make out what she said. When he didn't respond, her smile faded and was replaced with a contemplative look. Her eyes narrowed and she peered even closer into his own. The red sclera of her right eye seemed to physically invade him, searching every nook and cranny of his mind for its prize.

Finally, she looked away and turned to someone who had just appeared beside her. He was dressed in black as well, and his hood covered his face. They spoke for a moment, the new speaker motioned towards his prone body and his killer's eyes flickered back to him before nodding. And then he blinked and she was gone, only the hooded man was left.

He knelt down in front of Ishiki and rested the palm of his hand on the top of his head. He had one red eye as well, set in a young face with a mouth set in a thin line.

His eyes felt different to Ishiki; instead of feeling despair, he felt a quiet acceptance that calmed his racing heart. He could see a question in those eyes, yet not the same as her eyes. Instead of a prying, demanding question that ripped the answer from you like a hurricane, these eyes just asked, and waited.

He only wished he knew what question they were asking.

Then he felt them press into his head. Gleaming red tentacles were primed for fatal entry into his skull, and the question still remained. And at last, he understood.

He shook his head weakly and motioned with his eyes towards his coat pocket. It took a few moments for a gloved hand to emerge before his eyes with a picture in hand. Tears filled his eyes as looked on his daughters.

"Hey girls," he tried to whisper, "Daddy's not gonna be home for a little while." He looked up at those questioning eyes, reached up with a trembling arm for the photo. His hand spasmed and shook as he got closer and closer, but then it fell to his side.

'No,' he yelled in his mind, 'just let me hold them ... one last time.' Then a strong hand grabbed onto his limp limb and pulled. His shattered arm rose up and his fingers curled around the edges of the photo, all guided by the fingers of another. Then he felt his hand being pushed towards his chest before it finally lay on his chest, over his heart.

Then the arm pulled back, and Ishiki's eyes returned to the man's questioning gaze. They repeated the same question as before and Ishiki could see what was hidden behind those retinas. And so in response, Colonel Ishiki's eyes closed for the last time.

SHLICK.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

* * *

"Tatara, have you and Noro completely cleaned out the ship yet?" questioned Eto, as she marched the ship's halls, leaving a bloody trail behind her. Her finger was resting against her earpiece in order to make sure nothing was missed.

"We just finished." Tatara's response was cold and without pity.

"Good, I'm confident that we have been unnoticed by the other ships. The Colonel wasn't defiant at all; if he had sent a message he probably would have had some remnant of rebellion."

"That's some flimsy logic. We shouldn't rely on it at all." Eto went silent at Tatara's rebuke before answering.

"You're right, but we shouldn't let this risk stop us from reaching our goal."

"I agree. I would suggest we regroup with Noro, Ayato, and Kaneki and prepare for our attack on the Island." As usual, Tatara's plan was picked up by Eto almost immediately.

"Then go find Noro, and I'll fetch Ken. We'll meet up in the storage room where we hid."

"Of course Eto, we will be there soon."

"Noro, it's time to go." Tatara turned to his companion in preparation to meet up with Eto. Noro only responded with an eerie twist of his head in what has apparently a gesture of affirmation.

Seeing Noro's face for the first time was an interesting experience for Tatara and one that he never expected to see. Due to the secrecy of the mission, Eto had decided that all participants should wear identical black cloaks but no masks.

That had been a point of contention between them during the planning. Eto had argued that the masks would give away the fact that they were ghouls, while Tatara responded with the fact that if the cloaks were destroyed then their identities would be revealed. Eventually, they reached a compromise.

During the seizing of the ship, the team would only wear the black cloaks and during the actual invasion of the island, they would wear their ghoul masks. Despite the masks being recognizable, it was far better than their faces being seen by whatever lurked on that island. Masks can be changed and faces ... less so. However, if the soldiers on the ship recognized them as ghouls then their element of surprise would be gone.

And so there was Noro without a mask, his visage displayed to the world, and yet not acting any different than usual. He still communicated with vague body movements and didn't speak a word. He still had his massive bikaku flailing around like a grotesque merry-go-round, spewing human flesh and blood across the hall. But having his face on display just ... unnerved Tatara a little.

He broke out of his thoughts as he noticed that Noro had moved to stand directly in front of him. His face portrayed no emotion as he stood waiting.

"Let's go," said Tatara before he turned swiftly on his heel and walked briskly towards the storage room. Noro stayed stationary for a moment and then proceeded to follow him.

* * *

"Ken, get your mask out. The others will be here soon." Eto's voice broke Kaneki out of his musing and he turned to face her. In front of him lay the Colonel: he had a soft smile on his face and a giant hole in the top of his head. That final smile made Kaneki even the tiniest bit happy in his undercurrent of apparent apathy.

"Are we ready to go then?" asked Kaneki softly.

"Almost. We need to reapply whatever disguises we may need and then we'll make our move," said Eto in response. "Ayato is already in position. We have to hurry if we are going to provide our distraction."

Kaneki nodded jerkily and pulled his grinning mask over his face.

"Has the plan changed at all?" he asked.

"No, there haven't been any complications so far," answered Eto. Kaneki nodded again, this time it was more fluid and light, in contrast to the sharp motion from before.

"Eto, we've arrived." Tatara's voice sounded from behind them as he and Noro moved closer.

"Excellent," answered Eto with a hint of anticipation in her voice. "We'll split up into two groups of two and aim to draw as many defenses as we can away from Ayato. However, if we get the chance to capture Minaka or any of his weaponry, do not hesitate."

Noro didn't react at all, Kaneki inclined his head slightly, and Tatara nodded in affirmation.

"Tatara, you're with me. Noro and Ken will be the other group," said Eto cooly, before plucking an arm from the ground and tossing it to Tatara. "Eat up. We're heading into unknown territory and I have a feeling that we'll need all our strength for this mission." She grabbed another arm from the floor and threw it at Noro. His kagune lunged forward in a red streak, formed a mouth, and snatched it out of the air.

Eto took a bite out a limb that she grabbed from the ground and turned to Kaneki.

"Ken," she said with rivulets of blood running down her chin, "you need to eat too."

Kaneki flinched slightly before his face returned to its impassive state. Eto smirked at him before taking another bite out of the meat in her hand.

"However, you're different than the three of us Ken. You aren't as strong and you aren't as fast as we are," said Eto with a slight frown. Then her face shifted from that frown into an eerie grin. She stepped towards him while taking one last bite of flesh before dropping the remnants to the ground. She looked up into his eyes as her bloody grin widened even more.

"And that's why ..." Eto grabbed the fabric on her shoulder and in a quick jerk tore it away, "human flesh just won't do." Her savage smile crossed from ear to ear and her eyes, both red and green, glinted in the dim light of the corridor.

Kaneki stood motionless with his eyes wide and staring and Tatara's eyes hardened to the level of granite. Even Noro seemed to tense up.

"Come on Ken," Eto said, her voice dripping with expectancy, "time to let that kakuja out to play. Put the fear of hell in the hearts of whatever is waiting on that island. Show them that you are a force to be reckoned with!"

There was a brief pause, then Kaneki's kakugan lit up and he lunged forward, sinking his teeth into her shoulder.

* * *

Standing at the top of the mountain, Miya felt a chill run down her spine. Her instincts howled at her; screaming of danger and destruction.

"Matsu, I need you to keep a lookout for any new variables in this attack," she ordered. Her voice was as firm as ever and her brown eyes looked as impenetrable as the legendary sword that hung at her side. "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

 **AN: Hey, it's me again! After half a year I have finally gotten out this new chapter, which took so long to write. I kept changing my plan for the story and deciding where to take it, and finally decided on this. Sorry, for taking so long... This is my first year at University and it is taking up almost all my time, but due to the fact that I'm partway through Chapter 3 already, I can basically guarantee that the next chapter will be out before the new term starts (January 3rd).**

 **A huge thank you to everybody who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. And a special thank you to 'sierra117masterchief44' and 'RoyalSlayerGamer'; 'sierra' for really pushing me to get this out with their in-depth review and thoughts, and 'Royal' for making me realize that Eto is supposed to call Kaneki 'Ken'.**

 **I really hoped you enjoyed this new chapter, and I hope you'll stick around for Chapter 3.**

 **Cya!**

 **AN2: Sorry, about the confusion... I actually posted this chapter last night, but as soon as I looked at it I realized that I had some serious formatting issues. So I've looked it over and I think it actually works with the Fanfiction website again, sorry for the mixup.**


	3. Chapter 3: Invasion, Part 2

Chapter 3: Invasion Part 2

I own neither Tokyo Ghoul or Sekirei

* * *

The naval phenomenon that was the Japanese battleship inched slowly around the island, searching for any signs of life. At least a kilometer in length, the massive warship was armed with a plethora of high-tech weaponry including AA guns and ballistic missiles. The thick metal plating covering the outside of the ship was designed to repel torpedos, missiles, and even head-on collisions with other ships. It was truly a deadly weapon of war, designed to withstand the long days, months, and even years of battle. Unfortunately for the ship's occupants, none of that mattered when faced with a Sekirei.

With a loud thrum, a shockwave of power ripped through the center of the ship lengthwise, tearing the entire thing in half. It tore through the hull like a sword through paper, continued throughout the entire ship without halting, and erupted from the back of the ship in a burst of shattered metal. There was a brief metallic shriek before the center of the ship swiftly transformed into a massive cloud of fire. An enormous explosion erupted from the engine room, as the fragile chemical balance was broken which caused a chain-reaction that engulfed the entire ship. With a single blow one-third of the fleet sent to secure Kamikura island had already fallen.

Miya looked over the destruction she created and prepared for another attack. She raised her sword, readying herself to unleash another shockwave to destroy the second battleship. The very air around her seemed to vibrate in preparation as though nature itself was eagerly waiting to be unleashed. Just as she was about to discharge it, she received a call from Matsu.

"Yes, Matsu?"

"Miya! There is a group of two people making their way towards the embryos, as well as another group of two people running to Minaka's position. I don't know how, but I can't hit them! They just keep dodging all my satellite blasts."

"I understand. Leave them alone and assist Karasuba with her battle, I will order her to take care of those intruders headed to Minaka's position. I will head to Mutsu's position and take over his fight in order to let him eliminate the other two."

"On it Miya, Matsu out."

* * *

Kaneki and Noro ran up the side of the mountain in the center of the island, aiming to catch a flash of white that they had spotted on a high rock shelf. The differences in their movement were never more starkly different than when they were running. Kaneki leaped from rock to rock, quickly moving up the steep path. He was like a coiled spring, or a venomous snake, waiting to strike in quick, sure strikes. Noro, on the other hand, seemed to float gracefully across the ground, each of his jumps taking him up high before gently landing back down. He moved in an ethereal manner; graceful and soft, despite his incredible power.

However, the main difference, in this case, was the fact that Kaneki was leaping far higher in the air than Noro and that made him an easy, immobile target.

In mid-jump, something caught Kaneki's attention, and he turned to identify it only for his eyes to widen in shock as a booted foot slammed into his side with astounding strength. In a single instant, three ribs shattered and his entire body seemed to crumple in on itself like a can of soda being crushed under heel. He flew through the air and smashed into the side of a cliff, before falling several feet and landing on a jagged rock with a sickening crack. He stayed on the ground, feigning unconsciousness but listening carefully for an opening to sneak up to reach the flash of white.

"Well, that was pathetic. I was hoping for more of a fight." Karasuba sounded bored as she landed solidly on the ground and turned to face Noro who had stopped his ascension of the mountain. "Oh well, one sided-massacres are fun too." At this, her mouth curled into a violent smile and her sword emerged from its sheath with a sound of shrieking steel. Noro did not respond besides a slight motion of his head to the side which gave Karasuba the impression of a crow.

"Let's get this over with," said Karasuba, before lunging forward her sword out in front of her; poised to remove Noro's head from his body. The ghoul leaped backward just in time to avoid the blade with only inches to spare and then dodged the next strike at his neck with a simple bob of his head. Karasuba's visage morphed into an expression of mild interest.

"Not bad, maybe you'll actually be a challenge," she said, almost excitedly as her eyes lit up with a kind of feverish fire. She lunged again, her sword arcing down towards Noro's head with a speed he rarely saw. He elegantly twisted his body parallel to the blade, allowing it to pass along his body and almost strike the ground at his feet. He then leaped back again to increase the distance between them and waited. Karasuba did not disappoint, her saber transformed into a whirling circle of enhanced steel as she chased after the elusive ghoul. Every slash and stab was avoided as Noro moved like a dancer, twisting and gliding from stone to stone in an attempt to escape. Or so Karasuba thought.

However, no matter how skilled one is, nobody is perfect, not even a ghoul as experienced as Noro. Then, Karasuba found her opening. It came as Noro leaped onto a weak rock, which subsequently broke down the center. He lost his balance and desperately tried to reassert himself on the larger half of the shattered stone. He never got the chance. The Sekirei took immediate advantage, and with a brutal horizontal slash completely bisected the ghoul. The enhanced nodachi tore through flesh and muscle with abandon; ignoring the hardened bone as though it didn't even exist. Noro's lower half crumpled forwards, while his top half toppled backward off the unstable rock and landed on a shelf below with a squelching sound. Karasuba's eyes hardened, and her smile faded as she turned her back on the fallen ghoul in disappointment,

"I hoped you would be more of a challenge, what a let-down," she muttered to her fallen opponent as she wiped her blade on a nearby slab of rock. Switching the hilt to her left hand, she reached up with her right and contacted Miya.

"Miya, both intruders who were after Minaka are dead."

"Excellent, anything to suggest to Mutsu as he goes to face them?" Karasuba's snort of disgust echoed throughout Miya's earbuds.

"He won't need any, I don't even see why all of us need to be he-" Karasuba's words suddenly stopped short as an unfamiliar sensation coursed through her body: Pain. With a clatter, her nodachi fell to the ground as her unwilling fingers released the hilt. Sheer, unmitigated pain enveloped her nerves, and she gasped.

"Karasuba! What's happening over there?" Miya's only response was a choked gurgle, as a gasp mixed with blood and saliva burst from her mouth. It dribbled out of her mouth in rivers of red and splashed on the ground at her feet. Karasuba glanced down at her stomach and found something that should not have been there. Instead of the front of her gray kimono, a massive tail was protruding from her midsection, completely covered in blood and gore. The sharp point was enveloped with her torn skin and her organs hung limply around it. She leaned forward and grasped the tail before wrenching herself off of it with another choked, bloody gasp. She fell to her knees and let loose a round of crimson vomit. Clutching the hole in her body to prevent her organs from littering the ground, she turned around.

It was the most horrific and beautiful thing she had ever seen in her entire life. Thick, black tendrils were emerging from the ghoul's waist and reaching down over the cliffside. The injured Sekirei watched in fascination as the tendrils slowly rose up again, carrying with them Noro's upper half. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before; the tendrils stitched together the two halves as though there had never been a wound in the first place. The eerie mask stared at her once again, as though daring her to attack. Karasuba's dark chuckle devolved into a bloody gargle after only a second, but it had gotten through to Noro. He cocked his head to the side and pulled his kagune back for another strike.

"Oh my god," coughed out Karasuba, "You're perfect."

Out of all the things Noro had expected to happen, that had not been one of them. Usually, his victims cursed him or screamed in terror as they cringed away from him in utter horror. Never before had one of them called him anything remotely resembling a compliment and never had any looked at him with eyes like that. Her eyes were full and staring; they almost seemed to glow in her sockets as they gazed into his own. It was like looking into a blender of emotions; glee, horror, excitement, anger and even arousal all swirled around in a convoluted mixture of volatile sentiments. It was unlike anything Noro had ever seen before.

He watched in fascination as the woman got to her feet, and hobbled towards him with unsteady, uneven steps. She staggered over the jagged shale, chuckling and gurgling and staring at him. Her eyes, still swirling, seemed to combine to form what appeared to be a desperate obsession. Noro remained motionless as she made her way to him, even as the woman latched onto his robe and dragged herself up so that their faces met. With slow, deliberate motions her palms moved from his bloodstained robes to cup his hidden cheeks. She hooked her fingers underneath his mask and lifted. He didn't expect it to move, especially in her current state. With her lifeblood leaking on the rocks at his feet, he could not believe that she managed to pry his mask off his face. His mask fell from her fingers, and her hands came up again grab hold of his face with what little strength she had left.

Karasuba was not what anyone would call an emotional person. Her entire being, her entire reason for existence revolved battle and around her bloodstained blade. Perhaps, she was simply born in the wrong century. In a time of knights, samurai, clans, and an endless source of opponents for her nodachi to pierce; she would have thrived. Her very identity could be broken down into her hatred of humanity and her incredible lust for a strong opponent; for blood. And those two portions reacted upon the sight of Noro's abilities.

The sunken eyes, lack of nose, and apparent mummification did not mean anything to her. He was beautiful for the reason that he was a monster; inhuman and powerful. A man, no, this was no man, that she could fight, kill, and fight, and kill over and over again.

That speed, that power, and that massive, red, pulsing tail. A warm feeling grew in her chest, one that was distinctly different than the hot dripping blood around the gaping hole in her midsection. It took her a moment to realize what it was, and it left her shocked. The burning sensation in her abdomen was growing hotter, and it was spreading. She chuckled and then smiled at him.

"You're my Ashikabi," she said softly, and then she brought her lips to his. For the first time in the history of the Disciplinary Squad, a Sekirei was winged. And together they would become a force that would shake the very foundations of the earth.

Noro did not know what had just happened, but it did not bode well. This strange woman had removed his mask, kissed him, referred to him as her, 'Ashikabi' was it? He couldn't remember exactly. While all of that was strange, it was no cause for alarm, and Noro's curiosity wanted to see what she would do next. What happened next, however, completely stopped Noro's curiosity in its tracks. Bright red fluorescent wings erupted from the woman's back, and a blinding light began to envelop them. While that was worrying it was not nearly as worrying as the fact that the woman's wounds had all disappeared. The gaping hole in her stomach was gone, and smooth skin covered it once again. Two thoughts rushed through Noro's head in the span of half a second: kagune and danger, and so he reacted.

Karasuba felt amazing. She was the first; the first Sekirei to experience the power and joy that came with being winged. It penetrated her very being; every pore, every part of her was laid bare for the incredible energy flowing into her body. She felt her skin knitting back together; she could feel herself becoming whole again. The gaping hole in her middle was disappearing, and being replaced by new smooth skin with fully functioning organs underneath. It felt amazing, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The warm burning feeling had escalated, and her entire being felt as though it was on fire. Then it was suddenly cut short by a massive influx of pain.

Their lips were separated as Noro's kagune ripped bodily through the center of her sternum, tearing a new hole where the old one had been. Karasuba was lifted into the air, gasping and shuddering as her blood and organs splattered all over the rocks beneath her. She opened her mouth to say something, but Noro brutally flicked his tail and hurled her into the side of a nearby wall of shale. She crashed into it with so much force that it cracked; sending a spiderweb of breaks all throughout the shale. She cried out sharply before her lifeblood filled her throat and she fell on the jagged rocks, where she cracked her head and fell unconscious.

Noro stared after her in confusion, trying to process what had just happened. He put his mask back on and walked over to the woman's prone body. He knelt down beside her and peered at her face, where a smile was etched upon it.

'She is rather attractive. How did I not notice that before?' he thought curiously before a realization dawned on him. 'The Kiss' he understood, 'that must be what caused this sudden change in my emotions.'

He had never encountered anything like that before; something or someone that could instantly shift your emotions in whatever direction they chose. Such a versatile ability could be quite dangerous, and potentially useful.

Despite the strange and unusual circumstances of the change, Noro forced himself to be pragmatic. The woman was strong, incredibly so. If he hadn't surprised her with his regenerative abilities, it was entirely possible that she could have defeated him. With that in mind taking her back with them was incredibly risky, especially considering that her allies would pursue them. The fact that she was speaking to another person unveiled the possibility of there being more beings just like her. She appeared to be attracted to him, which could make her a pliable asset perhaps even a willing one. Killing such an asset to Aogiri Tree would be a waste, and Noro despised waste. Finally, Noro came to a decision. He tucked his arms underneath her; one under her bent knees and one behind her back and went to find Kaneki. He never noticed that the gaping wound was gradually getting smaller.

* * *

"Noro, I have captured Minaka Hiroto and one other scientist. Hiroto referred to him as Takehito. What should I do with them?" Kaneki glanced over at Noro's blood-covered body and the body in his arms before returning his gaze to the two unconscious scientists at his feet. They hadn't put up much of a fight; it had been rather pathetic. After Kaneki had ambushed Takehito and knocked him unconscious, Hiroto had just let loose a high pitched scream and ran for his life while calling out for help. Kaneki wasted no time in removing him from the equation as well. Once Noro had made his way up as well, Kaneki had already tied up both scientists gagged them, and laid them up against a large stone.

Noro looked at their two prisoners, face unreadable behind his mask. Hiroto was one of the primary objectives of the mission, the other being the advanced technology; however, Eto didn't say anything about taking other prisoners. The woman was almost certainly related to the advanced technology in some way, whether she was a product or a creator. No ordinary human would have been able to slash him in half or keep up with his speed. Not only that, but it was also becoming clear to Noro that shifting her allegiances would not be as hard as he initially thought.

This man was different; he was not nearly the level of risk as the woman. Given the fact that Kaneki defeated them both with ease proved that. With that in mind, it would not be dangerous to take him as well. Noro cocked his head to the side and motioned towards the beach as well as the transport they had hijacked. Kaneki nodded, picked up both scientists and began to make his way down towards their ship.

Noro followed closely behind.

* * *

On a higher plateau, Eto and Tatara raced across the dusty ground, moving steadily towards the strange metal object that they could see near the uppermost point of the island. They ran in the same fashion, bending close to the ground and streamlining their bodies so that the wind only passed them by, instead of impeding their progress. After the blasts of energy from the sky had ceased the two ghouls had increased their speed, favoring it over the agility they needed to avoid the massive bolts. As they neared closer to the object, which seemed to be a building of some sort, Eto suddenly felt a shift in the earth. A massive cracking sound split the air as the ground below them exploded in a flurry of shattered stone. Large boulders erupted from the ground slamming into the two ghouls and sending them flying into the air.

While airborne Tatara quickly analyzed their surroundings; the large cracks in the earth all stemmed from one place or rather one person. A single figure who had just finished tearing their sword from the surface was beginning to rush towards them. Tatara's analysis revealed several things; the figure was a male with silver hair, who carried a sword, wore a grey cloak, and moved with a speed he had only seen matched from a few particular ghouls and the God of Death himself. Tatara's eyes widened imperceptibly as he flipped through the air, righted himself and landed on the ground in a crouched position. He set himself for the incoming swordsman and prepared for the battle to begin. But the initial attack never came.

Suddenly, Tatara found himself thrown to the side by an unseen force and he felt a massive explosion behind him. A wave of blistering heat seared the back of his cloak and pushed him even further away from the center of the blast. Twisting in midair, he stared at the large crater that had been formed behind him and laid in the middle of it was Eto.

'What?' questioned Tatara internally, 'The laser is back online?' The answer to his question came as another blast shot down from the sky towards his position. He leaped backward to avoid it before running to Eto's side, where she lay charred and covered in blood. Her mask was torn to shreds and small pieces of white fabric stuck to her face with crimson glue. He knelt down beside and grabbed her wrist; he felt a pulse. 'Well that's good.' thought Tatara, an Eto began to cough. Blood dribbled down from her mouth as she retched and hacked, splattering crimson globules across the ground. She grimaced and managed to croak out an order.

"Tatara, I don't care how but you need to destroy whatever is firing that beam. Go, I'll be fine." The white-haired ghoul hesitated for a second, then his eyes hardened, and he bolted into the rising cloud of dust. Eto braced her left arm on the ground and pushed herself up to her knees with her right arm wrapped around her waist. She could feel her wounds closing, the burns all over her body being overtaken with new unblemished skin. A chuckle escaped her, followed by a creepy giggle. Eto's mouth contorted, twisting itself into unnatural shapes before settling into a savage smile. Her tongue darted out between her lips tasting the red liquid that clung to them. Her soft laughter continued as she swept her hand over her mouth, covering it with a thick film of blood. Her kakugen activated twisting her appearance from moderately frightening to utterly demonic. As she rose to her feet, her hands curled into fists and she raised her head to stare down the swordsman who had just emerged from the dust of fragmented rock.

"Do you want to play with me?" she asked with her soft, yet terrifying smile on her face. The swordsman did not respond with words, but with action. Holding his sword out to his side, he rushed towards her before swinging his sword horizontally at her neck: a killing strike if it had landed. Against nearly any other opponent it would have torn their head from their shoulders, but against Eto, things would be a little different. The One-Eyed-Owl twisted her body backward, bending over backward as the blade passed only a few inches above her face. Her grin widened as the swordsman leaped back, and his expression suddenly shifted to shock and surprise.

"So you do want to play. I hope you'll be fun," she said sadistically, before lunging forward as her ukaku emerged from her back in a crimson fan.

* * *

Mutsu was unsure what to expect from these two new invaders. All that Miya had told him was that two people were heading towards the embryos and that Matsu had been unable to shoot them down. Despite number two's inability to engage in direct physical combat, her accuracy with technological weapons was unparalleled. Her skill, combined with the large radius that the satellite beam provided, served to make her beams of searing heat almost impossible to avoid for even the fastest of humans.

For not only one, but two individuals, to continually avoid a ceaseless barrage coming from Matsu, they would have to be impossibly skilled or even enhanced. That was probably the best way to describe Mutsu's thoughts on the matter: an impossibility. When he finally found them, he supposed it made sense that they were unlike anyone he had ever seen before.

They were both wearing strange masks that prevented him from seeing their faces. The taller male was wearing a metallic crimson mask that covered the bottom half of his face leaving his dark red eyes and white hair visible. The woman wore a mummy mask; a plethora of bandages that wrapped around her face that also extended along her arms and legs, completely hiding her skin from view. The two of them wore identical black cloaks which reached all the way to the ground, yet somehow they were running streamlined along the ground with a speed Mutsu had never seen in any other human.

'Special operations?' questioned Mutsu, and he peered closer to get a better look. The cloaks had no identifying marks, all that he had to go on was the solid black color. Even with his Sekirei eye-sight, his observations rendered no fruit for his labors. The intricate masks could provide some blues, however with them on Matsu would be unable to run any facial recognition on them.

"How annoying," he grumbled to himself, as the two figures came even closer to his position. In a fluid, practiced motion his right hand latched onto the hilt of his sword while his left took a light grip on the sheath. He lifted it above his head before slamming it into the ground. The ground cracked around it and sent a shockwave through the rock, causing a chain-reaction that shot a surge of energy towards the two runners.

The quake slammed into them with enough force to total a tank and knocked them high into the air. Mutsu rushed towards them, unsheathing his sword as he ran. The blade emerged almost silently, save for the sound of the wind parting before it. The woman seemed to float through the air like a feather; she merely turned her body slightly and landed lightly on the ground. The man, however, twisted himself midair to look directly at him, then flipped through the air, over and over before striking the ground harshly in a crouch with one hand braced on the ground. He then set himself in a defensive position and looked ready for a fight. Mutsu was prepared to slice the invader's head from his shoulders before he was interrupted.

"Mutsu, incoming." Matsu's rang in his ears, and then familiar thrum of the satellite sounded. The destructive beam raced towards the unsuspecting man with incredible speed, but he was saved at the last second. The woman lunged at the man and bodily hurled him out of the way of the massive blast. Mutsu's eyes widened as the man went flying through the air just before the laser crashed into the woman, throwing up an explosion of dust as a heavy thrum emanated from the point of impact.

Mutsu covered his face from the dust storm, and walked towards the woman would be. No doubt, the man would return for her, and with the lack of visibility, he would be an easy target. He made his way slowly through the billowing flakes of broken rock, sword in hand. A little farther in front of him, he heard the sounds of splattering blood and harsh coughing. He stepped out of the dust and he saw the woman. She was curled up with her arm around her waist in the center of a massive crater, at least 80 meters in diameter. She was covered head to toe in blood, the rocks underneath her were drenched in it. The bandages and dress that had wrapped her were in tatters. Small strips and pieces of the white fabric clung to her limbs and face while the black cloak had massive tears in it, exposing her burned flesh. Her green hair covered her right eye, while her left eye held a sort of sadistic glee that was mirrored in her insane grin. Her madness was proven further by her next words.

"Do you want to play with me?" she asked softly, her deranged smile growing. 'Disgusting,' thought Mutsu. His lip curled in disgust; he sprinted at her and brought his arm back for a powerful slash at her exposed neck. His weapon leaped forward; slashing in a wide arc that split the air in its wake, causing a sharp whistling noise to cut through the sounds of crumbling rock. In an impossible move, she leaned back so that her back was parallel to the ground and his sword passed over her face. It had been so close that the wind blew her hair into a frenzy and almost blew her over. Mutsu's eyes widened in surprise as his mind tried to process how a woman with her injuries could dodge his strike.

"Mutsu," screamed Miya's voice in his ear, "Get out there now!" Mutsu was about to reply, but another frantic order rang through his earpiece. "Hurry, I don't know who these people are, but Karasuba is down!"

"What?" asked Mutsu in shock. Karasuba was defeated? There was no way that was possible; she was the most powerful Sekirei besides for Miya! This didn't make any sense to Mutsu, and it felt like his entire world was collapsing.

Mutsu, as the fifth and therefore newest Sekirei, was the least exposed to the world as well as the most susceptible to the influences of his older sisters. While it could have been a good thing, where his sister Sekirei showed him the ways of humanity as well as how they fit in with their own unique niche, it was not to be. Karasuba's views of any being that was not a Sekirei were derisive and dismissive. In her mind, any existence that was not a Sekirei was like an ant waiting to be squashed; humans topped that list of squashing. The main difference between Karasuba and Mutsu was their demeanor towards fighting with humans.

Karasuba greatly enjoyed crushing them; her sadistic tendencies drove her to kill as many humans as she possibly could. Karasuba's ideal day would be twenty-four hours of non-stop human carnage, and being always surrounded by the harsh scent of blood as well as the hundreds of fresh corpses. Karasuba was genuinely insane, and even she didn't know why.

Mutsu was somewhat different than Karasuba though. Despite his distaste for humans and his belief in their inferiority, he did not take the same joy in bloodshed that Karasuba did. Whereas Karasuba would dive headlong into any conflict that presented itself, Mutsu preferred to avoid it. It was not the battle he disliked, rather his proximity to humans. The Number 04 was the unstoppable beast that reveled in slaughter while Number 05 was the cold and unflinching machine that dispatched its opponents with unwavering precision. If any of the Sekirei were to challenge him to a duel, he would greatly enjoy it. The thrill of battle coupled with the adrenaline which came with the possibility of defeat was what he enjoyed, not the slaughter of defenseless insects. Despite his dislike of mindless killing, he had the mindset that Sekirei were the ultimate beings on Earth and that nothing could come close to matching them. Suddenly his entire worldview was twisted on its axis, and all because a Sekirei was wounded.

"So you do want to play. I hope you'll be fun." The words snapped Mutsu out of his shock, and they probably saved his life. Just as his eyes refocused on the figure before him, he realized that something was flying directly towards his face. With inhuman reactions, Mutsu twisted his head to the side as a red crystal streaked past his cheek. While Mutsu's life was spared, he did not escape unscathed. The shard tore through his left ear, ripping through skin and muscle like wet paper. The projectile covered the left side of his face with blood and completely destroyed his earbud. Miya's frantic voice disappeared in the sudden flurry of red, both crystal and fluid, and Mutsu felt fear for the first time in his life. Never before had an enemy struck fear into a Sekirei. They were beyond human and possessed strength and skills that elevated them beyond, in certain minds, earthly things. Unfortunately for the Sekirei, Ghouls were a wrongness in the world, and they too were beyond human.

More red shards erupted from the ghoul's back as her hands reached out to grasp the Sekirei, only for him to leap backward to create distance between them. With the added range, he finally got a good look at his opponent. The insane smile on her lips brutally shattered the appearance of a weak, injured human and the red wings protruding from her back. As she rushed forward, the wind flew by her, blowing her hair out of her face and revealing her right eye for Mutsu's analysis. For the second time, Mutsu's face contorted and his eyes went wide in horror.

Her left eye was dark green and was set in a white sclera which surrounded the small black pupil in the center. A normal eye with nothing to set it apart from all the others in the world. Her right eye was entirely different.

It was like looking into hell itself; a conflagration of burning red flames set in an abyss of infinite darkness lurked within her eye sockets. The eye itself, with its eerie colors, was terrifying enough, but within it was a sadistic intellect; one that seemed eerily like Karasuba's. And that focused intelligence that zeroed in on Mutsu's eyes seemed to wrap around his heart and constrict it. He had never felt this level of fear before, and he was in for the fight of his life, as he had just met his first equal.

AN: Welp, here it is the actual battle has begun. To be totally honest, I probably rewrote this more times than necessary. There were so many story choices that I had to consider, and the directions that the story would take would be completely different based on those small choices.

I must have spent hours ruminating on whether or not to have Noro take Karasuba instead of leaving her there. In the end, I decided to have him take her, and I think that this will close off some paths, but it will open others at the same time.

Geez, it feels like I'm playing one of those choose your adventure books, except I'm writing my own path through it. I digress though. I really hope that I didn't make my characters too OOC... writing Karasuba is hard.

But, on another note, I wanted to talk about my rationale behind the "power levels" in my story. Mainly, the relationship between ghouls and Sekirei.

The fact is that both are inhuman creatures who are far stronger than the ordinary human, but there is a difference. In Sekirei canon, a small number of Sekirei were able to slaughter entire armies of well-trained soldiers and, to the best of my knowledge, they do not have the impenetrable skin that the ghouls possess. If a small number of ghouls had to face off against an enemy with long-range weaponry that could kill them, it would be challenging for them to win. Based on that benchmark, the average Sekirei is stronger than the average ghoul if they have a weapon that can inflict damage on them. Of course, there are exceptions such as the strongest of S class ghouls, but even they pale when compared to someone like Miya.

So I had to do some adjustments. Just a few minor ones, but I had to power up the TG universe just a little bit. If I hadn't then Mutsu might have just taken Eto's head off, and that would've sucked. But, even so, the Sekirei are generally stronger than ghouls so don't mistake the fights in this chapter as a representation of all of them.

Karasuba's fight, for example, was an excellent example of an early battle between two parties who have no idea what the other can do. If Noro didn't have his healing factor, he would have died, no question. Of course, if Karasuba hadn't gotten winged than she would've died after losing so much blood or after Noro tore her head off as a finisher. In an all-out battle, where they understand each other's abilities and can counteract them, it would be a much longer fight as well as a sight to behold.

Anyway, this Authors Note has gone for a little too long, but please review. I really want to get better as a writer and make this story the best it can possibly be, so your ideas and thoughts on my writing and story are most appreciated. Thanks so much for reading this, hope you enjoyed, and I hope to see you guys for the next installment.


	4. Chapter 4: Invasion, Part 3

Chapter 4: Invasion Part 3

I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or Sekirei

It is said that the top of the world is a very lonely place and that those who are above everyone are often isolated from the rest of the world. Whether it be riches or fame, the people who possess greatness are all too often seen as beyond human.

However, in the case of Miya, this description is accurate. In fact, she even went beyond that description and nearly reached the realm of 'beyond Sekirei.' Being the Number 01 was an immense responsibility, and it was one that she would have to be strong enough to fulfill. Protecting just one Sekirei required power, skill, and intelligence, but protecting all one-hundred and eight of them seemed beyond the reach of anyone, yet somehow she defied those expectations. As such, Miya's abilities put her at the top of the world, isolated at the peak of mortality, beyond any others she could find. By this nature she was so utterly alone; a powerful guardian who watched over her slumbering flock and longing for the day when she might be joined by her family. At least, until she met Takehito.

One would think that he would have been a paragon of human goodness and been able to match her in her strength and power, but this was not the case. Takehito wasn't as much an anomaly as he was a human in the right place at the right time and with a scientist's desire to cross boundaries while retaining a certain level of morality.

Minaka and the majority of his subordinates saw Miya as an opportunity to further his own knowledge and reputation, or perhaps even to replicate her inhuman strength. Not lacking in emotion, but lacking in empathy and that soiled any connection that Miya could have made. As the first human Miya had come into contact with, it served to be a poor first impression of both science and humanity. Takami was relatively quiet compared to Minaka's explosive bursts of ranting dialogue on the possibilities of Sekirei technology, but even she never once referring to them as a people, only as an asset. And that was all she could expect of humanity.

Takehito walked blindly into her expectations of humanity and shattered them without ever realizing it.

Miya had expected one of two personalities from Takehito; the first was a dispassionate and clinical man who focused on his work to the exclusion of all else, and the second was a mimicry of Minaka: someone who exulted in the unknown, yet still refused to see the Sekirei as anything more than stepping stones. However, despite this, she still needed their help, and she would shrug off this annoyance for her flock's wellbeing.

The annoyance she was waiting for never came, and in its place came a quiet, almost ethereal figure with a slight smile on his face who, upon entering, sat down beside her and attempted to start a conversation.

"Hi there," he said, with his slight smile still in place. "Nice to meet you, my name's Takehito."

He offered his hand to shake. Miya's eyebrows slowly climbed upwards as she looked at him incredulously, before her eyes flicked down towards her sheet-covered body and back up to his eyes.

His hand stayed exactly where it was. There was a long awkward pause before Miya responded. She grudgingly lifted her own hand in response and clasped hold of his hand. But raising her hand from under a sheet had some consequences.

"Ah," he said, with his cheeks reddening. He quickly let go of her hand and drew the sheet back over her chest. "I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean for that to happen." Takehito's composure seemed to fall away leaving him a somewhat confused and embarrassed, trying to keep his cool.

But, somehow, his stoic patient cracked a small smile, and a little chuckle escaped her lips before she swiftly cut it off.

"I bet I look pretty dumb, huh," he said, rubbing the back of his head ruefully. "My face must look like a tomato."

"A tomato?" asked Miya curiously.

"You've never heard of a tomato?"

Miya shook her head lightly, but her eyes never left his own.

"Well, they're a bright red fruit that grows on vines, and they're so red that people use the expression 'your face looks like a tomato,'" explained Takehito. His companion's brow furrowed slightly.

"That's a bit ... strange," replied Miya.

"Maybe… I'll have to show you one sometime, maybe the next time I come how does that sound?"

Miya shrugged.

"Cool, sounds like a plan." Takehito grinned in response, his embarrassment gone. The grin did not merely reach his mouth, it travelled up into his eyes and down into his hands. His eyes lit up with delight, and he swung his hands up to give a double thumbs-up. It seemed so simple to him, so natural, but to Miya, it was something different.

That grin could not possibly be fabricated, could not be anything less than completely and utterly real. It was because of her that this genuine emotion was here at this moment. A solitary soldier and staunch protector that had never given a single soul cause to be happy left her first happy mark on the world. Then her own smile bloomed in response; her first smile that was untainted by the bitterness of being alone because there seemed to be a chance that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have to be alone anymore.

"You know, you're really pretty when you smile."

Yes, maybe being alone could be a thing of the past. Miya's smile grew.

* * *

"So, how does it feel to no longer be the only one of your kind?"

Miya stared up at the starry sky from where she lay beside Takehito and softly smiled.

"It's strange... I feel like I almost expected all my feathers to stay unhatched forever. I had resigned myself to be eternally watching them and protecting them. Almost like these stars in the sky; unmoving and unchanging by our standards."

She chuckled softly, "it seems I am continually being proven wrong in all my assumptions."

The corners of Takehito's curled up at that, and we turned on his side to look at her profile as she gazed upon the night sky.

"I suppose I should be pretty thankful for that," he said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "what an empty life I'd have to live without you."

Miya blew out a contented sigh and melted into his side.

"You know, I never believed in any gods. I flew through the universe, and everything that I could see was beautiful, but nothing that couldn't be an accident, nothing that screamed that this had to be created. Now it's different."

She softly kissed him on the cheek, before snuggling even deeper into his warmth.

"All that beauty out there, I could stand to believe that it was all an accident. I felt nothing at that, but this is so different. I could never stand to believe that this was just an act of chance because I cannot imagine that it would have been so easy to never have met you. And so every day I thank whatever god is out there for bringing me to you because you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."

The love of her life laughed with his eyes sparkling, "I wish that I could speak my mind so beautifully, but I suppose I'll just have to settle for 'me too.'"

* * *

The first time that Miya saw Takehito break was one of the worst moments of her life.

He was a neat man who loved to keep everything organized and clean. Everything was catalogued, all his notes and equipment were always put away so that when his lab was not in use, it would look pristine. So it was an unpleasant surprise when she entered to see smashed furniture and papers scattered everywhere. She walked in cautiously and called out his name. Glass crunched underneath her foot, its sharp shards biting into her foot. The shattered remains of a test tube crinkled as she lifted her foot back up to see what was beneath it.

Casting her gaze over the tables throughout the room, she noticed many were turned on their sides and their contents broken upon the floor. Fluorescent liquid pooled on the floor and dripped off the tables with a sound that sounded far too much like a ticking clock.

Miya stepped further into the room, and a choked sob caught her hearing. Her eyes darted over to the corner, and a shuffling figure moved into her vision.

"Takehito?"

"Miya," a soft voice came from the corner, "I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry."

"Takehito?" she asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry Miya, I didn't mean to." His words were shaking, and as he stepped out into the light, she saw that his hands were as well. His eyes were bloodshot and darting everywhere like the eyes of a trapped animal. Blood dripped down from his glass pierced palms, but he didn't even acknowledge the pain.

"Calm down, it's okay. Just tell me what happened." Miya spoke soothingly and stepped slowly towards him.

"I ruined her Miya, I made a mistake, and I ruined her." He was breathing heavily, and he seemed close to hyperventilating. His chest heaved, sweat ran down his face; it was as though he was a fragile pane of glass falling to the earth, just waiting to shatter. Yet, Miya did not see any of this.

"What." Miya stopped moving, and her voice became as hard as stone. Her muscles eased as the care that had characterized their relationship fell behind a porcelain mask of feigned calm.

"Do you speak of Akitsu?"

She stared at the distraught scientist, and her eyes bored into him, demanding an answer.

"She was too powerful Miya, my calculations didn't account for that, and the adjustments failed. And not only that," yelled Takehito frantically, his fingers clawing at his scalp. Small droplets of red stood out stark against his hair.

Miya's impassive visage continued to stare down upon him like that of a judge delivering punishment.

"I can't fix it! I have doomed her Miya, any human who even attempts to wing her will die, she will never be winged. She …she can't..." His words fell apart into incoherent ramblings, and his eyes burned with feverish anger and rage. His muscles stood out like steel cords against his body as the stress was pushing them to their absolute limit.

Miya's face hardened in response, a fact that did not miss the scientist. A mad stare met her stony eyes, and for a moment an internal war was waged between them. Then the madness faded away into emptiness.

With another sob, all the anger and fire left him, and he fell back against the wall, limbs spread at odd angles without so much as a care.

"Oh Miya," he whispered, tears staining his cheeks, "what I have I done to her?"

Miya flinched, almost imperceptibly, yet her face softened, and she knelt down beside him. She didn't even notice the broken glass pressing into her legs as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. His muscles tightened in response, and her embrace tightened in turn.

"Look at you. Crying over one of my children as if they were your own. Maybe I should hate you for what you've done, but I can't blame you for this. So many unknowns and yet you succeeded 6 times before this. This is a tragedy, and Akitsu will never find her destiny, but she and all her siblings have gained something more."

She gently wiped away the tears that were sliding down his cheeks, and a sad smile appeared on her lips.

"All of my children, even dear Akitsu, have been given a father who loves them just as dearly as I do."

* * *

All these memories raced through Miya's head as she finally found her third feather in the grasp of a tall, dark figure who was rapidly moving down the mountain slope. The images flashing in her head overlayed the scene before her, almost distorting her vision with their intensity.

Karasuba was slung lazily over the figure's right shoulder, and the hilt of her precious sword was held in its right hand. With her blood completely drenching her clothes and her head lolling at an awkward angle it looked as though she was dead.

Something inside Miya's very soul had been stirring as she had raced to find her wayward feather, but now that the reason for her silence was confirmed, her worry blazed into an inferno of anger.

Her arms tightened into steel cords, her sword was ready to become a whistling cyclone of steel. Her eyes focused in on her two targets and she moved to jump.

And then she saw Takehito, and Hell descended to Earth.

* * *

Kaneki thought he knew what power was; he was Eto's subordinate after all. The half-ghoul kakuja was, after all, the most feared and powerful ghoul in Japan, as far as he knew.

The first time he saw her kakuja, it was like staring into the face of the devil herself. It exuded untamed ferocity; sheer power that didn't require intellect or skill, only a raging desire to kill.

Jason had been unhinged and insane, but even he had some gleam of thought behind that mask. His torture had been simultaneously methodical and sadistic, taking enjoyment while holding himself back just enough to continue another day.

He even exulted in delivering the mental torture of choosing someone to kill himself, a choice which his fragile mind could not handle. Jason had some remnant of what some would call 'humanity'; a wretched, shattered, evil parody, yet humanity all the same. He, after all, became what he was only through their actions. That was not the feral mind he saw in Eto.

When he looked into her huge eye, he saw a raging storm of claws and feathers which sat waiting to be unleashed on whoever its host decided. It was a beast, trapped inside its cage of civility and opportunity. Unlike Jason, she was indeed an animal, a beast, and a monster. There was nothing human to be found in that kakuja. Even when she was in her form of skin and flesh, her eyes still held the same power, it was just hidden deeply, wrapped in chains of dead humanity long since cast aside.

He had believed that there could be nothing else that could replicate such a feeling of fear. Not Noro, not Tatara, not Mado, not even the Reaper himself.

And then he heard the scream.

It was a combination of terror, anger, disbelief, but it held an undercurrent of power that did not merely reverberate through the air around him, it sent it fleeing. A chill went down his spine, and his muscles tensed in preparation.

He turned just in time to see a gray blur racing towards him, and it was still screaming. Yet, the screaming was not the only sound that he could hear.

The air shrieked, and the ground cracked around the figure with each step, although they could barely be seen. A broken line of fractured stone lay behind it, with deep indentations marking every step. Individual limbs were obscured as they all blended together into a single form as though it was a streak of gray lightning.

And right in its path was Noro.

The impassive ghoul turned to face the oncoming onslaught and stopped in his tracks. He did not release his prisoner but stood perfectly still as his kagune slithered out from his back like a massive serpent. The immense appendage hovered just over his head as though it was waiting for a moment to strike. It was easily twice Noro's size and had enough force behind it to annihilate an entire team of investigators, that was proven fact.

In the past, it had been enough to scare both ghouls and humans into full-blown retreats at the mere sight of it. It reared memories of bloodied walls and broken bodies with that same impassive face staring out at the few that it had graciously allowed to live. Only the bravest and best would dare to even attempt to contend with it.

The enormous mouth that emerged at the tip only served to add the sense of sheer wrongness, yet the figure still approached.

As soon as it entered Noro's range, the kagune lunged in front of it, and the mouth widened to unimaginable proportions in preparation to feed. The yawning chasm surrounded the creature on all sides before attempting to consume it. It's prey dove headlong into the gaping maw, and the jaws shut behind it.

Then there was silence. And then there was not.

The monstrosity exploded in a conglomeration of blood and flesh. Enormous chunks of meat erupted from the appendage as a gray blur burst through the other side with steel shining through the blood that caked it.

Noro's kagune reeled back in a ferocious howl, even as it's aggressor streaked after their ally. Noro, however, slowly turned to watch Kaneki begin to flee. He cocked his head to the side in a quizzical expression, before turning away and running in the opposite direction. With his kagune crippled, he would be a liability rather than an aid to Kaneki.

It was incredibly difficult to run with two full-grown men on his shoulders, and he could feel that his speed was fall lower than what it had been initially. Kaneki looked back over his shoulder, to get a good look at his pursuer.

As she got closer, as he could now see her properly, he could start to make out her features. Brown eyes were set upon an angelic face that was contorted in fear and anger, and her cloak billowed out behind her as she sped toward him close to the ground, and a sword was gripped in her right hand.

Her speed was greater than his and Noro's, and her power was too, judging from how she had shattered so much stone with just her steps and annihilated Noro's kagune.

She would kill him, even with his kakuja, that much was certain. He needed a plan, some idea or scheme to get him out of her range. He racked his brain, even as he turned to flee, for anything that could aid him. His kagune erupted from his back and stabbed themselves into the ground, allowing himself to be flung far faster than he could run. But even so, she was gaining on him.

In the distance, he could see Noro moving away and heading towards the ship. So that guaranteed it, he was alone, and his fate was sealed. Any ideas he had were useless in the face of her overwhelming speed.

"Takehito!"

Then she cried out. It was so full of emotion; of pain and fear, that it reminded him of the desperate of Hinami as her mother was killed. He glanced back momentarily and was careful to look into her eyes.

And it was there; the same reckless desire to save, or stop, or kill whatever could possibly hurt that one person who they cared for.

This creature felt so strongly for the scientist?

Kaneki grimaced as his mind raced through plan after plan, even delving into the grotesque schemes of Kureo Mado. His ability to manipulate others through their emotions and leaving them with just enough hope to bend to his whims was nothing short of masterful. And it was from him that his plan came to fruition.

As the end of the next plateau drew near, where a significant drop off would begin, Kaneki pulled two of his rinkaku up close to his back and braced them against the body on his shoulder. They twisted together like a steel cord, winding together and slowly, but surely, gathering more and more force in their slight elasticity.

The footfalls behind him drew closer and more pronounced against his own movement, and his muscles tensed in preparation. A drop of sweat dripped from his brow, and he could feel his heart beating faster and faster as she approached. He could almost feel her blade at his back, and her steps were closer than ever. The sounds behind grew in intensity… and then stopped and a faint whistling replaced it.

Kaneki's trained muscles reacted almost instantaneously, and his plan was left abandoned as a new one formed in its place.

With his next 'step' he embedded his two walking rinkaku into the stone, and yanked himself out of the air; completely changing his trajectory and slamming into the ground. As the ground cracked around him, he watched as the swordswoman's leap carried her over his head and across into the open air above the long fall.

Her blade whistled through the empty space that his neck had occupied just moments before, and Kaneki looked up to see her shocked face look down at him in horror as she sailed into the precipice beyond. He watched as her the steel in her eyes melted away to pure terror.

Her eyes widened as, and her mouth followed suit as a frantic scream burst out from her throat.

"Takehito!"

For a brief moment, her face was overlaid with that of a young girl screaming out for her mother with that same look in her eyes, and he found himself replacing a sinister dove with murder in his eyes.

Kaneki grimaced under his mask as he watched her falling body pass beyond his view. Then he turned and ran in the other direction, aiming to meet up with Noro closer to the ship, not seeing another gray-clad figure appearing far behind him with the winds gathering in her wake.

* * *

AN: Well this has been a long time coming… I had finally planned to get this out over Christmas break, but then I realized that my initial plan for this story was full of some pretty lousy plot holes. I must've rewritten this chapter at least 3 times trying to find a direction for this story to go.

I'm still not really happy with this chapter, and I think I really undersold Miya's abilities and it didn't deliver the impact that I had wanted here. I'm also not sure about how the backstory with Miya turned out. Please let me know if you enjoyed it or not, I know that I have a love/hate relationship with flashback-esque stories and far too many of them are quite dull to read, so I want to know what I can improve on in this regard.

On another note, I wanted to thank Ghul for his review in bringing to my attention something that I forgot to say. He mentioned that the humans in TG are basically superhumans, and I realized that I forgot to include them in my power scaling 'memo.' Essentially, the entire TG universe has been scaled up, and not just the ghouls, the Investigators as well. So you can be sure that whichever of them appear, that they will not be pushovers compared to the Sekirei.

Lastly, I want to give a big thank you to everyone who has been supporting this story through Favorites, Follows, or Reviews. It really means a lot to me, and every time I see a new one, it makes my day so much brighter. They also inspire me to write more and to improve myself more than I'm already doing so any comments or criticism you can give me would be awesome.

Hope to see you all again for the next chapter!


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